Warrior Cats: Paw Prints in the Snow
by Starry Times
Summary: A young she-cat has been getting these weird messages and dreams from these spirits. Unsure of what these dreams are meant for, she seeks help. However, the help she was seeking isn't quite what she wanted. Stuck between two things she loves and enjoys, it's hard the be the Warrior Cat she was meant to be.
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Another typical day in the snow-filled area. The snow was gently falling from the sky, gently fluttering its way down to the cold ground. The air was crisp and cold and one could easily see their breath -- it was just too cold. Soft crunches sounded from all living species in this strange and mysterious forest. A cold breeze filtered through a small makeshift den that sat in the roots of a tree and underground some. It had previously been a fox den, but there had been no signs of foxes lately. There hadn't even been scents of the foxes. Now inside the den laid a small she-cat dappled with snow that had found its way through these roots and into the den. Scents of several strange plants were inside this den. Perhaps the small she-cat had something planned for these strange... Plants? They were oddly colored and oddly shaped. They just lurked inside this den, filling the small hallow with aromas so sweet.

A cold, strong breeze was sent through this little hallow, sending a fresh coat of dusty-snow into the den and on to the light silvery-gray and white she-cat. She shivered as the snow sat on her soft fur, chilling her by the moment. Little movement was made by the she-cat as she just curled into a tight ball, trying to stay warm. Yet again another strong breeze made its way into the den sending more dusted-snow and the figure began to shift more, awaking. "S-stupid bre-breezes" She stuttered and shook the snow off her. As much as she wanted to be used to the cold, she wasn't. The cold got to her so easily and quick. She had never really enjoyed the cold and for that matter of fact, she didn't' enjoy living in it. Especially in a place like this! In the roots of a tree, seriously? Having nowhere to go but out into the exposed snow-covered forest with predators?! No!

This wasn't the place for a cat to live! Why was she even there? Well, she actually had no idea. She isn't forced to live there. The loner could live anywhere she wanted -- even with twolegs. However, what fun would it be to live in a trapped space where you have to make dirt in a certain area? That was no life for a cat! The life of a cat should be free. To live in a free world was great. No matter how cold or warm it got, it was great. It was freedom. Sadly, more risk was being taken out here in this frozen wasteland! Little prey, predators, freezing to death. Then there was the threat from the wild cats.

Oh the Wild Cats. They were large hairy beast living in the snow together; hunting for one another, prey for one another, everything. It was so strange. At least they had each other for protection and warmth. Unlike Flurry, she had no one. Her parents had disappeared and her littermates, if she had any, also disappeared. She was all alone with nowhere to go. She had no destiny, just herself and her dreams. She hadn't seen many cats in the forest except for the wild ones, of course. Or crazy rogues who have a claim on this and that. Flurry was left alone to explore the forest all by her lonesome self. Perhaps one day, that will all change for the best. And she won't feel so lonely.

The small silvery-gray and white she-cat hoisted herself onto her paws and exited her makeshift den. Freezing for a moment as she entered the cool crisp, air. She closed her eyes and took a few seconds to bush out her long fur that she was so grateful to be born with. Her minty-green eyes closed as she took a deep breath, getting accumulated with the air. After standing there for a few seconds looking rather strange, she began to make her way through the forest. Behind her was a trail of paw prints in the snow.

It wasn't usual for the forest to be so quiet. Usually this forest was filled with lurking predators. It was just one of one those quiet days, Flurry assumed. Not good. She thought to herself. A quiet day in this forest meant little prey roaming the area. Hopefully, she will be lucky to find a couple nice pieces of prey, and hopefully a few plants that she will use. These plants... What were the uses for them? The she-cat had such precious knowledge of so many plants! But to what extent? And how would she learn more about these... Wondrous things? Flurry then scented the air, catching a strange by delicious smell. She knew that smell. It was a weasel! Her minty-green eyes lit up with hope as she lowered herself to the ground as far as she could before stalking toward the smell. In the distance, she could see the white-furred weasel digging into the snow in hopes to find food. Flurry neared the weasel, hoping it wouldn't see her or even hear her. When the weasel looked up and looked around, the she-cat froze several fox-lengths away from the little beast. She couldn't wait to get the savoring taste into her. Weasel was always her favorite. When the hopeless weasel went back to digging into the ground, all of Flurry's weight went into her haunches and she leaped. "All mine!" She purred in delight but was surprised when she felt nothing under her paws. Slowly she moved her paws and noticed she had missed the weasel! "Oh no!" She gasped in defeat. Glancing at the small prints of the weasels in the snow, she darted after it. This was going to be her piece of prey no matter what. She caught up to the white-haired creature quickly and was readying herself to pounce on it. As she pounced, she burrowed into a something. It wasn't the weasel or a rock or a bush.

It was a wild cat.


	2. Chapter Two

The young she-cat couldn't believe that she was about to witness her first wild cat. She was probably about to earn her first few scars as well. Flurry quickly scrambled back, kicking snow up as she did so. Her minty-green eyes grew wide with fear. What would this wild cat think of her? Would she think she was crazy for even daring to come on their land?! Would the cat attack her, yell at her?! She turned away, hoping to get away before the cat could say anything or do anything.

"Why you little—" The cat growled, raising its head to stare at her. "If you dare run, I will hunt you down." It's voice was deep and very serious.

Flurry gulped and glanced over her shoulder. She offered an embarrassing grin before turning tail and darting off. She was a swift she-cat and could outrun most cats. However, her legs could only take her so far before they begun to get tired! With little prey roaming the area, it was hard to get a healthy meal that would build her strength. A heavy breath escaped her as she came to a slow when the river comes into view. She was breathing quite hard just because she was trying to escape that cat that threatened her. Slowly, her breathing began to go back down to normal. Now, it was quiet again. The only thing she heard was the rushing water beside her in the river. Her gaze trailed to the river, hoping that the wild cat didn't follow her. What if it did?! What if the wild cat wanted to attack her? What if the wild cat was going to take her back to its' group and kill her? What if, what if, what if!

The silvery-white, dappled she-cat began to listen closely to the other sounds surrounding her. Perhaps she should hide but then again, the wild cats could track her down, couldn't they? The only noise she heard was the sound of her heart, beating rapidly with fear. A soft noise could be heard in the distance but it was nowhere near her. She let out a sigh of relief before turning around. She began to walk once more, staring at the ground in hopes to finding a trail of some kind of prey. Hopefully not a single predator was out on this cold day.

"I GOT YOU!" A low growl sounded.

"Huh?" Flurry turned around and then let out a squeak in fear. She tried to turn and run, but her paws slipped in the snow which caused her to fall to her belly. Tons of weight landed on her and she could feel claws near her neck. The cat had her pinned down.. "GET OFF!" She hissed. Flurry began to wiggle under his weight. However, every time she did so the claws seemed to dig deeper into her neck. She didn't even bare to look at the cat who was most likely about to take her life away. Her eyes were shut tight and she was stretching her neck, trying her best to get away from him. He was just too heavy!

"Why should I? You scared my piece of prey away! You shouldn't even be on this territory," He growled lowly as he neared his face to hers.

The toms' face was so close to hers, she could almost smell his nasty, rotten breath. She slightly moved her muzzle, trying to get her face away from him. With her face pressed hard against the snow and being pinned, it might not have been the best idea to even lift her head some more. She was only stretching out her neck more, exposing it to this tom. Fear began to overtake her as she could feel him dragging his sharp claws along her neck. Quickly, she twisted her body and unsheathed her claws. She then blindly swiped him across the face.

Surprised by the sudden swipe across his face, the tom staggered off the she-cat and growled. Now, he was really angry with her. First, she stole his prey and now she was going to attack him! "Oh, now you're in for it, you piece of fox-dung!" His low voice sounded.

Flurry stared at him and narrowed her eyes some. Deep down, she was out-of-her-mind scared. This was a wild cat she was dealing with. Not some ordinary cat just roaming the world! But a wild cat! He was raised in the cold and raised to fight off intruders like her. She couldn't fight off a wild cat that was taught how to fight and when to fight. She could hardly hunt and she expects to fight him?! Her fur bristled some and she could feel the cool breeze seep through her fur. It was cold – too cold to fight a measly tom cat.

"You think you're tough, kitty-kitty?" The tom taunted, his dark blue eyes burning into her.

"No! I-I mean yes! No! Maybe?!" Flurry responded, backing away from the dark gray-blue tom. He frightened her and he was so much bigger than her! Then again, to her it seemed so much bigger. She wasn't exactly the biggest but she's not the smallest she-cat in the world. A little above average.

The tom looked at her strangely. He tilted his head some and relaxed a bit. He then shook his head and then crouched down some; a low growling could be heard from him. "You need to leave the territory now!" He snarled with his teeth barred.

Flurry tried to take a little step back but the river was right behind her. One little misstep and she could fall in! "P-Please stop coming near me," She begged, her eyes growing with fear. She glanced over her shoulder once more, watching the rushing waters below her, and gulped. "Please. I have not done any harm to you beasts!" With that said, she crouched down in fear.

"Beasts?" The tom repeated and a little chuckle was heard from him. "We're beasts now? Are you kidding me?!" He laughed some more and shook his head. "We're just cats, like you pipsqueak." He muttered, glaring coldly at the she-cat.

"N-no! You do this and that and this and that!" Not only was Flurry scared but now she was nervous and a little embarrassed. When nervous, she tends to start saying awkward things and doing awkward things. Seeing the tom laugh a bit made her feel a little better. To her, laughing distracted the tom from what he was really doing. Perhaps she could slip away? No. He was already glaring at her now.

The toms' head lifted and he stared off into the distance. "Did you hear that?" He whispered sharply. He scented the air, trying to catch a scent of whatever was out there. The toms' tail quivered and his white whiskers twitched. Suddenly, his ears fell flat and the tom starred in the she-cats direction. "R-R-R-Run!" He stuttered before turning heel and taking off, kicking the snow up.

Flurry looked a little confused when he suddenly ran off. A grin appeared on her face! Yes! No more crazy tom cat! She cheered to herself. A deep, threatening growl sounded behind her from the other side of the river.

Slowly, Flurry turned around and her eyes grew wide once more. Her ears flattened against her head as the view of a huge, white fox came into view. Its amber eyes were fixed on the young cat and the fox looked quite hungry and skinny... He licked his chops and then leaped across the small river.

"Oh my stars and skies!" The she-cat gasped and dashed off. She was kicking the snow up as soon as her back legs hit the snow. Here and there, she would slip but she regained her balance best she could. She didn't know where she was going or how fast she was going but Flurry knew she was out of there. She needed to outrun the fox. The fox was keeping up his pace though. Flurry kept glancing over her shoulder and when her gaze rested on that narrow fox-muzzle, she knew she had to pick up the pace. She was still weak and couldn't move very fast. Her legs couldn't carry her for too long and she began to slow. She just didn't have the strength! She began to slow down, not being able to keep an even pace. Oh what was going to become of the poor silvery-white she-cat?!

The fox was nearing on her fast and she couldn't do anything about it. Brace yourself for a fight, Flurry! She thought to herself. If she couldn't keep running, how did she expect to fight a fox?!

"There! There it is!" A voice shouted. "Look! There's Ripplepaw too! What's wrong with him? He looks injured! SMOKESTAR! Hurry up!"

Flurry ignored the voices and dashed past three large cats. She didn't even have time to look at them. All she did was dash past them, kicking up snow and leading the fox straight to them. It wasn't her time to become fox chow. Maybe them, but not her! "OUT OF MY WAY!" She yowled to them.

"Not so fast!" A loud voice snapped.

Flurry blinked when she suddenly tripped over something. She fell face-forward into the snow and let out a surprised yelp when the fox's' growling got louder. It was nearing them. "DON'T LET IT EAT ME!" She cried to the cats. While face-down in the snow, Flurry placed her two small paws over her head as if to protect it from the fox.

However, she didn't feel any pain. She didn't feel any teeth ripping into her scrawny body. In fact, she heard growls and yelping. Glancing back, just barely, she noticed that two of three large cats had jumped the fox. OUT OF NOWHERE! They were going to save her! Then her gaze fell on a gray she-cat, who was glaring at her. Flurry knew that this she-cat was watching her, making sure she didn't go anywhere. Her claws were tearing up the snow below her and she looked rather upset. Her dark blue eyes burned into Flurry, piercing her. "Eep!" She whispered and covered her head once more. "Please don't eat me, wild cat!" She begged, murmuring into the snow. Flurry wouldn't be able to run, now that this gray she-cat was watching her.

"There," A voice mumbled.

Flurry could hear yelping sounds from fox that took off.

"Flintfire, join Tigertooth and chase that terrible intruder off our territory," A large, smokey-gray tom ordered. His voice was deep and it was very scary in a way.

At least, Flurry thought it was scary. This tom was huge, bigger than any other tom cat that Flurry had seen. He had long smokey-gray fur with these unusual white stripes lying on it. It looked like snow had formed in perfect stripes on his back! Not anywhere on the tom laid a single scratch or even a bruise. He was neatly groomed, even after just fighting this fox. A large scar sat on his right cheek and part of the toms' ear was cut. There was a V-shape at the tip of his left ear. His eyes were a deep and mysterious dark blue.

A small groan came from a cat came from the bushes on the right of Flurry. The tom simply looked at Flurry, seriously and growled, "Do not move." He then turned away from her and quickly hurried over to the tom that was lying in the bushes. "Ripplepaw? Are you okay?" He asked, his mood suddenly changing. His voice was now calm.

Flurry looked over to where the gray and white-striped tom disappeared too. He was crouched over and looking into the bushes. Slowly, she sat up but the tom shot her a cold stare. As he did, she froze and sat still. Her ears were flat against her head and her gaze was fixed on her silvery-white paws that nearly blended into the snow. If it weren't for the black Bengal markings, they would have blended in perfectly! (Yes. She's a silvery-white Bengal cat.) What were the wild cats going to do with her anyway?

"You can't exactly go anywhere Ripplepaw. You need to be more careful. I will go and fetch Petalfall," The tom turned to face me and he growled deeply, "If you dare move an inch or try to run, I will send so many cats after you and we will find you." With that said, he darted off deeper into the snowy forest.

Flurry flattened her ears. There was no use trying to run and hide. They would find her. They are wild cats after all! They have been living in the forest longer than she ever has! Her gaze rested on the bushes, 'Ripplepaw' was in. Slowly, she gently stepped in his direction to get a better look at this cat. As she neared him, she noticed the same gray-blue tom cat that she had stolen prey from earlier.

"What do you want?!" The tom growled lowly. He was glaring at her from the corner of his eye. He was not a very friendly cat – at least to outsiders he wasn't. "You know, if it wasn't thanks to you, I wouldn't be in this mess!" He muttered before looking away. The tom then tried to stand up but fell right back down into the snow. He must have fallen or something. He was all cut up and covered with thorns from the bush! He was even bleeding a little.

"I didn't do anything!" Flurry replied and shook her head. Noticing his fresh wounds, the she-cat began to examine them some. She looked at the wounds to see how serious some of them were and how some of them weren't too bad. There was one thing that stuck out like a thorn in a paw though. His back right foot was bent all awkwardly. "Oh my. Look at that foot of yours!" She gasped and flattened her ears. "You hurt it! Tell me, does this hurt?" Flurry reached over and then just pawed at his back right foot.

As soon as she pawed it, he let out a high-pitched yelp. "Yes! It hurts!" He growled and swatted at Flurry's head.

She dodged it though. She was now getting a closer look at the foot. "It's broken," She told him with a frown. "That's too bad. OH! I KNOW!" She squealed happily, ignoring the fact that he was now growling at her, nonstop. She knew a lot about healing other cats – whether they were sick or even had a broken bone. It was as if she were born with this knowledge of plants. She didn't know what most of them were called though. Then again, she has had to raise herself in the wild for a while now. She had to learn a few things. "Maybe it's not broken… So if you don't mind, don't move!" She murmured and looked around the dry area. Most plants around the area were dead or just barely alive. The snow usually froze them and slowly killed them. That wasn't going to stop Flurry though. She looked around for silky cobwebs, something to hold his foot and leg. She didn't need too much, just enough to do a little this and that! The she-cat picked up a stick and began to carry it around the area. She wasn't going to go too far, in case the gray and white striped tom decided to show up! She didn't want to get hunted down and most likely killed. They were all being a really mean though and Flurry didn't like it!

Seeing a cobweb, she smiled and began to twirl the cobweb with the stick, collecting it. She quickly made her way back to the tom that was still in the bushes. He looked kind of sad too. Perhaps it was the news Flurry had shared with him?

Ripplepaw lifted his head and eyed the she-cat, giving his this strange look. A low growl sounded from him and he flattened his ears, "What are you planning to do with that stick? I swear, if you smack me with—"

"If you don't stay quiet I will smack you with it," Flurry cut him off and gave him this serious look. The she-cat then began to claw at the cobweb, carefully taking it off the stick. "Now, hold still please." She muttered and began to wrap the toms' foot in the cobweb. She didn't wrap it too tight, but tight enough so that it wouldn't fall out of place worse than it already was. When she finished, she stepped back and nodded. "Now that should hold up until that other cat comes back with that other cat and those two cats come back," She mumbled. Sadly, she remembered what the oldest tom had said to her. Would they really chase her down if she decided to run? Maybe she could just leave their territory and live a happy life. While she was thinking about it, the two cats that chased off the fox came back. They were breathing quite heavily.

"We sure showed that fox!" A large dark brown tom laughed.

"Oh shut up, Tigertooth," Flintfire muttered, glaring at him.

Tigertooth huffed and fell silent. He looked a little beat up and he was bleeding some. In fact, his paw trails in the snow were leaving traces of blood. They were little specks, not too much. They would most likely be covered up by more snow anyway. "I'm surprised this little pest didn't leave," He commented, eyeing Flurry.

Flurry flattened her ears and backed away from Ripplepaw who looked very excited to see the two cats return. She sat there, staring at the ground. She was back in her original spot and she looked quite scared. What if they decided to attack her next?

"Tigertooth," Flintfire growled, glancing over her shoulder. "Look at what you did!" She snapped, seeing the traces of blood on the ground.

The tom turned around and noticed the little red specks of blood melted into the snow. "Oh whoops. It's not like I can control where I bleed, Flintfire." He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"You could at least clean up after yourself! Get some of those golden flower things that Petalfall always uses," Flintfire muttered, glancing between the dark brown tom and Ripplepaw. She sighed and made her way over to the young tom that was still in the bushes. "Look at you, all injured and lying in the snow. Teaches you not to run away from your patrol" She scolded him. "And what's this? Did you do something to your paw, again?! Ripplepaw, how many times do I have to tell you to be careful?" She scolded him, lowering herself to the ground to meet his eyes.

Flurry stayed silent. However, seeing the blood that came from Tigertooth made her shiver a little. She hated seeing blood and would rather have it all wrapped up and cleaned up. She coughed a little, "You know… You should really put something on those wounds of yours," She whispered softly, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "And golden flowers? That's goldenrod, actually. It's not very common in this area," She whispered.

"And what do you know, little pipsqueak?!" Tigertooth snapped.

She tensed up and flattened herself to the ground in submission. "N-nothing!" She whispered, staring at the piles of snow in front of her. She seemed so scared but yet, she knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Actually, that young she-cat is correct," A very soft and soothing voice spoke.

Flurry looked up to see a pretty she-cat with long, cream-colored fur. She looked friendlier out of all the cats. She noticed a few plants sitting in front of her she must have sat down to speak. (The herbs. She sat the herbs down. XD.) A smile sat on her muzzle and her eyes lit up with something. Excitement? Curiosity? What was it? Flurry then looked at the plants and tilted her head. She noticed one out of three plants. "That's goldenrod, c-correct?" She murmured quietly. Nervousness washed over her. What if the smokey-gray and white tom chased her out right then and there because she asked a question to the pretty she-cat?!

"Yes, indeed it is! In fact, she was also right to wrap up your apprentices' paw. If it wasn't, it might be worse! You should be thanking her, not yelling at her," She told Flintfire and Tigertooth.

Apprentice? What was an apprentice? It must have something to do with their group of cats.

Tigertooth said nothing, just looked away. He looked quite upset when the cream-colored she-cat spoke to him. He had crouched down some and now his belly was barely touching the snow. He didn't look like a happy camper.

"Do not mind them, young she-cat. They are always cranky," A soft laughter sounded from her and she picked up the herbs delicately. She then scurried down the small snow mound and stopped in front of the bushes where Ripplepaw was. She shook her head and frowned at the young tom, "You really need to be more careful, Ripplepaw. Please. One day, you'll hurt your paw and leg and we won't be around to do anything about it!" She examined the small tom who was obediently sitting still. He didn't flinch of move, just sat there. "Oh, it seems you have already had it wrapped in some cobwebs. I wonder who did this," She murmured, talking to herself.

"I… Might have," Flurry whispered and then bit her tongue. There she goes, speaking out of term again!

"You?" The she-cat replied, turning to look to her.

Flurry nodded, staying silent. She didn't want to get in deeper trouble.

"You did an excellent job! Look at this, Smokestar!" She purred.

The she-cat looked kind of old. Her face was tinged with silver. Most of her fur was neatly groomed except for matted fur here and there. There wasn't much though.

The smokey-gray and white striped cat, known as Smokestar, just nodded and replied, "Yes. I see, Petalfall."

Flurry felt completely offended! Smokestar didn't even look at Ripplepaw's leg! He was still staring at Petalfall and then glancing at the she-cat!

"It's quite nice, actually. We will have to deal with the rest of your wounds later, Ripplepaw. We need to get you out of this snow," Petalfall replied as she finished up applying the chewed goldenrod. "Tigertooth, Flintfire, help him back to camp. I would like to speak to this she-cat for a moment." She looked to them and smiled some. She then turned her attention back to Flurry.

She wants to speak to me?! Flurry was now a little nervous and began to awkwardly chew at her chest fur. Her paws were gliding across the snow and ice under her. Whenever she got nervous, she did awkward things.

"Petalfall, are you sure you want to speak to an outsider? I was going to escort her off the territory," Muttered Smokestar, glaring at her coldly.

Flurry crouched down at the sight of Smokestar's cold stare. She didn't like it one bit. When she heard Petalfall's voice, she felt a little better.

"What is your name?" She asked softly. Her voice was soft – just like an old cats voice should be! Soft and sometimes raspy but always having meaning.

"I-I-I am Flurry," The silvery-white Bengal replied and looked away.

"Flurry?" Petalfall gasped and took a step away from her. "You're joking, correct?" She asked.

Flurry shook her head and continued to stare at the snow below her paws. "I am not," She replied.

"Oh my. Smokestar…" Petalfall whispered, glancing at him. "Err. I must leave now. Goodbye Flurry." The cream-colored she-cat turned hard and picked up the leftover plants gently in her mouth. She then quickly scrambled away, looking as though she was in a rush.

"Flurry," Smokestar replied and shook his head. "Please leave, now." He growled. His entire posture had suddenly changed. The cat growled, but he looked as though he became more relaxed. It was unusual. "If you are not gone by sundown, I will personally hunt you down and force you to leave. I must return to my clan." He snarled and turned away from Flurry. He took off.

Flurry was left there, all by herself, like usual. The cold winds left a chilly presence there, as though something was there with her. It was too bad though. She knew she was alone and she always will be. She knew she wasn't going to have a friend in this terrible forest and she would eventually become wild-cat-chow or fox chow. The she-cat turned in the opposite direction and returned to her home in the roots – hungry and cold.

Why did both cats leave off in such a hurry?


	3. Chapter Three

Flurry sat inside her little home – inside the roots of some large and old tree. Her mind was questioning her with many things but one thing bugged her the most. Those wild cats, when she told her name to them, they looked scared or shocked. She couldn't figure out their expressions except that they left in such a hurry! It was as if they knew something. What if they did? They must have known something or else they wouldn't have seemed so… Shocked.

A soft sigh escaped the scratched up, silvery-gray Bengal she-cat. She looked down at the plants that were scattered before her. At least she knew she had one thing in her life – the knowledge of these plants. These plants were magical things and she, Flurry, knew exactly what some of them did. It seemed like that was the only thing she had these days. Snow, plants, and dead prey. It would be nice to know her family – to know some other cats that could be her friend. Perhaps one day she'll be able to meet her family.. But how would she know its them? Would they look like her? Sound like her? She didn't know these answers. What if they didn't even like her? What if they rid of her on purpose? So many questions with no answers. It saddened her. Sadly, she got up and crawled outside of her little den – only to come face-to-face with another cat.

"ACK!" Flurry yelped and jumped back into her den, scattering the plants with a woosh of wind. Her gaze trailed from the plants up at surface.

The young she-cat, about Flurry's age, let out a small giggle and stuck her head into Flurry's den. "Hehe, did I scare you?" She was a solid white she-cat with a little orange patch over her right eye. She smiled widely at her and tilted her head. "Come back out! Please? You look so lonely and bored. You've just been sitting here, staring at those plants!" She then ducked out of Flurry's den.

It could be a trick. What if this she-cat wanted to attack her? Or maybe she had friends to attack her. Furry slowly crawled out feeling a little worried with who this cat may be. Is she another Wild Cat? Perhaps she was just an outgoing rogue or loner. But why would she be here, with her? Not many other cats knew of her little home in the roots of a tree.

"Come on slowpoke!" She called and turned to face Flurry, her green eyes shining with happiness. Her tail quivered with excitement and she even circled around several times. "You are so slow! I just circled like, three times! You're going to miss it! He's going to fall right into the water, let's go kitty!" The little white and orange she-cat darted away from Flurry's tree and skidded down a hill. "WEEEEEEE!" She cheered.

Flurry flattened her little, white ears and frowned. How could she have so much fun in the cold? Even though she, herself, had long fur and was used to the cold, she wouldn't be having this much fun! And what did she mean 'He's going to fall right into the water."? Did that mean someone was going to fall into the water?! It was too cold to go swimming or even accidently fall into the water! Or was it on purpose? She was overwhelmed with questions about tthis she-cat.

"BLAZEPAW HAS ARRIVED!" The white and orange she-cat purred, sliding down the hill and into a large ginger colored tom that was leaning over the river. As she bumped into him, he just glanced at her and hissed at her.

"Shhh!" He hissed and shook his head. "I'm trying to focus. Just shut up for a few seconds please Blazepaw!" The large ginger tom muttered quietly and turned his attention back to the river he was standing in front of.

Flurry came to a slow halt and looked at the tom, standing over the river. She tilted her head some and watched him. He was standing over the water so… Awkwardly. He wasn't even leaning right and she could have sworn she saw his shadow overlapping the river. He wasn't even balanced right! He even looked like he was hunting for a live piece of prey in the forest. It was all wrong. "Um, cat? That is not how you fish… At all," Flurry whispered quietly.

"SHH!" The tom hissed, glaring in Flurry's direction. He then turned his attention back to the water and flashed his paw into the water. The only thing that happened was a huge splash! There was no fish or falling. Nothing happened except a flash of a paw and a huge splash.

Blazepaw purred and looked at the tom. "You'll get it eventually, Sunpaw!" She smiled and nudged him. "Try again!"

"Um," Flurry murmured and took a few steps toward the two young cats. She then looked down at the narrow river. She sat beside the river at an angle, making sure her shadow didn't overcast in the water. She then crouched down a little but made sure she was completely balanced. Her claws were unsheathed and her ears were flat against her head. Flurry's blue eyes narrowed on the water and she watched. Seeing a silver flash, Flurry slashed at the water. As she scooped it out of the water, she brought it to her mouth and then bit the fish, killing it. "That is how you fish," She told the other two and sat the dead fish down gently in the snow. The little blood trickled from it and stained the snow. Flurry didn't care though; she was proud of her delicate and swift catch. She was especially proud that she was able to do something another rogue or Wild Cat couldn't! It was slightly embarrassing for them.

"Wow. That was impressive!" Blazepaw purred, staring at the dead silvery colored fish. Her eyes were full of excitement, obviously impressed by Flurry's fishing skills. "Can you teach me, please?" She begged.

"Pfft, beginners luck!" The ginger colored tabby tom, Sunpaw, muttered. His green gaze looked away from the two she-cats. Obviously, he was embarrassed.

"Sure!" Purred Flurry, completely ignoring Sunpaws' comment. "Now look here, you need to make sure you don't have your shadow casting over the water," She whispered quietly. "You must be quiet and watch your shadows." Flurry continued to explain to Blazepaw how fishing really works. She was demonstrating to Blazepaw how one is supposed to move and claw at the fish. She completely ignored the fact that she was with two strange cats. How could they be so nice to her?

After about five minutes, Sunpaw jumped up and grinned happily. "Wow! Let me try! Let me try!" She purred. The white and ginger she-cat then crouched down, a serious look crossing her ginger-patched face. Her green eyes were narrowed on the water. The over-excited she-cat was now staring at the water and her claws slid in and out, scraping up snow under her pads. She was definitely itching for a catch. Her tail quivered some and she looked very over-eager.

Flurry watched, sitting back some and staying quiet. As a cold breeze whipped through, her fur fluffed out some and she even shivered. She then glanced toward the tom and realized they had to be wild cats. Both of their names, Sunpaw and Blazepaw, both ended in the word 'paw.' The same way Ripplepaw's name ended in paw! All of their names had something to do with nature and it confused her a little. Why would a wild cat even want a name like that? She even imagined her name as Flurrypaw. It just wouldn't work!

A small smile crept onto her face as she watched the young she-cat fish out a smaller sized fish. She then took a few steps toward Blazepaw and nodded. "That was great!" She commented. "Just make sure you're always stay balanced – don't balance on one paw." She told her, showing how to balance straightly.

Blazepaw nodded and copied her. "How long have you lived out here?! You know so much!" She purred and kneaded the snowy-ground. Her gaze turned soft as she turned to look over her shoulder at Sunpaw. "Come on, Sunpaw! Come learn!"

Sunpaw gave her a stiff glare and just shook his head. "Me? Learn from a rogue? I'll pass," He murmured and looked away.

Flurry let out a soft laugh but deep down, she felt just a tad bit offended by that word. She wasn't that bad at teaching and living out in the wild had taught her so much! She had to basically raise herself in the wild, trying to learn how to fish and hunt. Hunting wasn't always the easiest for her, even though when it was snowy and cold, she could blend in better. Flurry just wasn't the smartest at hunting – which resulted in her experimenting with fishing. It wasn't the easiest thing at first either but she got a hang of it real fast. To her, fish are the most delicious meal to her. It was just too cold to go fishing in the winter.

"It's not all that bad. She's quite nice! Come on Sunpaw," She looked over her shoulder at the tom who was sitting there, staring at the ground. Her eyes then grew wide and she frowned, "Pleasseeeee? For me?!" She whined to him.

Flurry thought she saw a small smile when Sunpaw said that to him. She tilted her head, waiting for a response.

"Fine… Teach me," He murmured, flattening his ears and looking away. The tom got on all of his paws and got close to Blazepaw's face a little. "If you say anything to anyone back at PolarClan, I will hurt you!" He muttered, glaring at her. He then stepped past the two she-cats and towered over the water.

PolarClan? That has to be what the group of Wild Cats is called! Flurry thought to herself. She then shook her head, clearing her thoughts and focused on the water in front of her. She eyed the tom's stance and giggled some. She then shook her head and lowered her gaze. "What are you doing?"

"Fishing, what does it look like?" Sunpaw replied, watching the river closely.

"Not like that," Flurry sighed, rolling her eyes. "Do as I do," She murmured and got in her fishing stance. She then began to slowly reach out to the water to demonstrate to Sunpaw what to do right. "You need to be quick with your claws and your teeth," She murmured. "You need to watch your shadows and hope that it doesn't tower over the water. Make sure you do this and this," She whispered, showing him the movements.

Sunpaw nodded and copied her. He didn't exactly get it on the spot though. He kept losing his balance too! It was interesting to both she-cats every time he stumbled to the side. How does a wild cat not know how to fish? Don't they survive on fish? Maybe not in the winter because usually the river was frozen, but surprisingly it wasn't yet. Finally, after several minutes the tom got the stance down – sort of. It would take a while for him to get it perfectly. "There, is that better?" He asked.

Flurry nodded and looked over to Blazepaw. "I think he's finally starting to get it," She murmured with a soft purr. Her gaze then returned back to the tom, who was watching the water carefully. His dark forest-green eyes flickered every time he saw something move under the waters of the river. Everything around the three cats was quiet and the only noise heard was the river. She watched the toms' movements and how graceful he acted as he flashed a paw into the river. She was quite impressed by the toms speed when he brought a fish out of the water. However, he didn't get the fish to his mouth fast enough and he splashed away from him and landed back into the water.

"Really?" Sunpaw growled to himself, eyes narrowed. He shook his head and sat up straight, glancing over to the silvery Bengal cat. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," Flurry responded.

"Nothing? Nothing at all? I must have done something wrong!" He muttered, glancing back down at the water. His tail flickered side to side and he was obviously agitated.

Flurry nodded slowly and looked down at the water. "You did nothing wrong. Your speed is incredible. Just get the fish quicker to your mouth – even if that means leaning a little closer. Not to close though. You don't want to get slapped in the face by a fish tail!"

"That happened the other day!" Blazepaw purred, nudging Sunpaw. "My brother was like this," She leaned toward the water and was very close to it. Her nose was nearly touching the water!

"Careful now, Blazepaw," Sunpaw coughed. He raised his paw and gently backed her away from the water. "I don't need you to fall into the river," He smiled some.

Flurry watched the two siblings sadly. Her gaze was clouded over and she quickly looked away. How nice it must be to have a brother… Or a sister. She thought quietly to herself. Jealousy ran through her of how they were so caring toward one another and so gentle. The two of them had each other – probably parents too! "It must be nice to have a sibling," She murmured under her breath.

"Hrm? Did you say something? WAIT!" A loud gasp sounded from Blazepaw and she jumped back. "What's your name?"

The loud gasped scared Flurry a little bit. Her fur even poofed out some! "Err. No. And I'm Flurry," She replied to the she-cat.

"Flurry? That's so pretty!" Blazepaw purred. "I'm Blazepaw and this is my brother Sunpaw!" She was just so easily distracted and so easily impressed. She was way too happy for being in such cold weather with short fur. Maybe she was used to it. Or maybe she was just too happy to care... Flurry couldn't figure her out.

"Meh," The Bengal replied quietly, lowering her gaze.

"Blazepaw, we should probably head back to the Clan," Sunpaw sighed. "They're probably worried about us. Look, the suns going to be down soon!" He looked toward the sky.

Flurry followed his gaze to the sky. It was almost sundown. The skies were turning a dark orange color and clouds were beginning to roll in. Her ears flattened against her head and she frowned. Tonight it would snow – most likely all night too. Tonight would be one cold and windy. The roots of a tree will not keep her warm for too long even if she found something to sleep on and cover herself up in.

"You're right, Sunpaw," Blazepaw let out a long, dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. "That's not fair. I want to play some more!" She gave her brother huge, puppy-dog eyes.

Sunpaw shook his head and jumped onto all four of his paws and turned away from the two she-cats. "We must go, Blazepaw," He commanded. His gaze fell on Flurry and he slowly spoke, "Thank you." He didn't seem to appreciate her help very much and it stung her, just a little.

Flurry just nodded in response, still looking up to the sky. She had always loved the sunset and enjoyed watching it until the sun has completely disappeared. It made her feel warm on the inside. "I must go," She whispered quietly and looked to them. "Please don't tell the other Wild Cats I was here," She begged them. Turning sharply, the she-cat took off up the hill that Blazepaw had slid down earlier. Her mind began to remember what Smokestar said about being on the territory after sundown. She had completely forgotten! What if those two cats will tell him about being on the territory after the sundown? She would be 'personally hunted down!' If she were to leave during the night though, where would she even go? There weren't many places in the snow-covered land to stay at – especially around this time. The trees had no leaves (except pine trees) but Flurry couldn't climb! Flurry was not a fan of heights nor was she a fan of climbing up and down trees. She just wouldn't do it. Besides, it would probably be colder in a tree anyway. With the wind blowing, she would get snow blown all over her! She would freeze in a tree. Being in roots though wasn't all that better either.

Flurry approached her little makeshift den. She flattened her ears and stared at it for a few moments. Then, she made her way under a few roots and into the den. She wasn't going to stay there too long, she just needed the plants! Her gaze scanned the hallow area and she grabbed a few of the plants that sat there. In a hurry, she scrambled out of the tree and made her way back on the snowy land. Where would she go from there? She couldn't stay and she wouldn't be able to travel too far due to the lack of food and how cold it was. It would be a dangerous night but she had to get somewhere, right?

The silvery-white she-cat traveled through the few inches of snow. (Let's say three inches of snow.) Her gaze was fixed ahead and never once trailed off to the sides of her. Her mind was set on finding a new home and getting away from these crazy cats. They were going to hurt her if she didn't find a new home! She couldn't help think that Smokestar was just saying that because they couldn't afford sharing prey with them. Maybe he was just saying it, just to scare her off. Maybe he wasn't going to hurt her after all. It was too late to turn around though. She was climbing up a steep slope that was just covered in snow. Every few steps, her cold legs would give out and force her to fall down on her chest and belly. She even dropped a few plants but she couldn't go around and pick them up. She needed to keep going. If she were too turn around who knows what might be at the bottom of the hill! Flurry glanced over her shoulder to see to the bottom of the hill. There was nothing there but she almost reached the top of the steep slope! There was no point in turning around!

Finally, she reached the top of the hill and her gaze grew wide at the sight of a huge mountain. She didn't even know there was a mountain at the top of this hill! This must be where the fresh river-water comes from though. She continued following the river to the base of the mountain where she approached a cave. I guess I have no choice but to stay here tonight. She thought to herself. Quickly, her paws carried her through the cave opening and into the darkness. The river was the only noise she heard from within the cave. Beside the scent of the plants, the only other thing Flurry could scent was the fresh water. She decided to continue to follow the water but it only leads her to a dead end within the cave. So, she turned around and began to follow the water back out. That's when she heard something. The noise was muffled though. I'm just hearing things… I need to get out of this dead end!

She followed the water back to the opening of the cave and she realized that she was now over-looking the forest below her. Her eyes grew wide at the sight. All she could see was an endless stretch of white and the shadows of trees. This forest was huge! She scanned the tops of the trees and her gaze fell on the river that she could barely make out. The river soon disappeared in the distance though. A small purr sounded from her at the sight of the huge forest.

"Flurry…." A hushed voice whispered.

The hushed voice caused the she-cat to become completely scared. Her fur fluffed out and her ears fell flat against her head. Her tail lashed side-to-side and she was very uneasy about whatever had whispered her name. Was there another cat here with her or was she just really hearing things? When she sat the plants down, she heard the voice again.

"Flurry… Please do not be alarmed…" The voice whispered again.

The voice sounded so familiar – as if she has heard it before. It still creeped her out though. She scented the air and caught a strange scent. The scent smelled familiar too! It smelled of a sweet aroma and it wasn't her plants that she had taken with her. It was a different plant. Her eyes lit up. Was there really another cat here that knew her?! She thought she saw a flicker of light coming within the cave and she was very curious. I mean, who wouldn't be curious about a pretty light blue light? Quickly, she jumped to her feet and ran after the figure of light blue light. "Come back here!" Flurry called through the cave. She splashed through the stream of water and down a path of the cave. The cave became narrower as she followed the light blue figure through the cave. She then realized she was going down a small ramp in the cave. The cold stones under her paws gave her the chills but she needed to find this cat. Suddenly, she lost her balance and began to tumble down this small ramp. The only thing that stopped her was by crashing into a huge rock! Now, she was lying on her back and staring at the sky that was covered in clouds.

"I'm… Outside?" She questioned herself. Rolling over, Flurry then realized she was still in the cave that was surrounded by rocks and a few patches of grass. There was a huge, dark gray stone within the cave that nearly reached the opening in the cave room. She felt around the ground and realized there was a little indentation. Flurry followed the little indentation and realized it was surrounding the large stone that sat in the middle of the room. "It must be a dried up stream," She mumbled. Her gaze returned to the sky and she realized that the moon was hovering right above her head. Clouds nearly covered it up but one could still tell it was the moon. Her ears flattened and she gazed around the cave. There was nothing in there but the rock and the dried up stream below her. And of course, the opening above the little cave.

A huge yawn escaped her and she began to make her way over to the side of the cave. She then lay down and stared at the rock. Something about this area made her feel a little better after hearing those strange voices and seeing that flicker of light – which led her to this cave room. Her eyes were falling heavy and she soon closed them, falling asleep.

"Welcome to Shattered Star Stone." A light blue figure sat on the other side of the room of Flurry. It seemed to be very, very faded and it couldn't be made out fully of what it was. "You've finally arrived, Flurry."


	4. Chapter Four

(Sorry! Had to redo Chapter Four on account of a few reasons!)

* * *

Darkness, that's all Flurry saw surrounding her. Pitch black. There was no light anywhere. Just the noise of what sounded like trees whooshing in the wind. Her light blue eyes gazed around the area and she looked rather spooked. Where was she and what was happening? Why did she have to be in this darkness? She tried to move her little paws but it felt as though they were glued to the ground. Again, she struggled to move but nothing was happening. Opening her mouth, she tried to let out a sound but again… There was nothing. That's when she heard a noise.

 _Tap tap tap._

Her eyes grew wide with hope that someone was there. Once more, Flurry tried to call out into the darkness surrounding her. Just the silence and the slight noise in the distance.

 _Tap tap tap._

There it was again. Flurry could feel a cold breeze and in the distance she could hear more than just the sounds of winds and trees. Something was finally coming into sight! Her eyes narrowed when she tried to make out the figure. But all she saw was a dim blue light. There was nothing else there but that light. Hope filled inside Flurry and she tried to move toward the blue light. This time, her paws softly carried her over to the light and she purred in success. However, fear was still lurked her. She was mixed with fear and hope. She still didn't know where she was or why she was there. "Hello?" She called out to the distance.

There was no answer but the blue light seemed to pause and look at Flurry.

Staring hard, Flurry began to make out the shape of the bright blue light. She could see a face, and ears! And even a body! It must be a cat, right? It just had to be. It was no ordinary cat but she could see still make out the shape. She continued to make her way after the blue light, her paws gently carrying her. Picking up the pace, the she-cat approached the blue light and the figure looked down at her. As she neared it, it began to rid of the light and form into this light colored cat. As soon as most of the light faded, Flurry could see the figure clearly. She was stunned.

In front of her stood a light blue-gray figure with large white paws. Its eyes were a bright sky- blue color, the color of the light that had faded away. The figures tail was gently folded around the cats large paws. The tall figure looked down at Flurry and carefully studied her. Then a gentle smile showed, its teeth glistening. It was a cat. A strange cat though. The scent this cat carried came off as sweet… Nothing dangerous or threatening. It was like honey mixed with a little lavender - like it had just got done rolling in a flower patch. It was a very… Warming smell. It made Flurry feel at ease and she smiled brightly.

The darkness surrounding the two cats soon disappeared, slowly. It seemed to be lifted right above their heads. Flurry's gaze turned fearful as she watched the shadows disappear, revealing a huge field. The field was large, full of tall grass and surrounded by trees and bushes, making it looked as though there was nothing else beyond it. The sky above their heads was full of many, many stars. The large and full, white moon was a beautiful sight. The field was illuminated by the moon and stars, turning the field to look almost shaded by grays and black. Tons of scents surrounded her. From flowers to sap and honey, to cat scents. It was a strange. There were so many different smells in this tiny field – none of which were familiar to Flurry.

"Welcome to StarClan, Flurry," The tall cat in front of her spoke softly. His voice echoed around her, going in different tones. Finally, it stopped and he bowed his head in respect to the she-cat. "My name is Slatestorm," He smiled friendly at her. He looked rather young and very big.

Flurry tilted her head in confusion and opened her mouth to speak but was quickly silenced with a flick of the toms tail.

"Shhh. Everything will be explained to you very soon, Flurry. I'm just here to welcome you," He purred calmly and began to walk around the area. His sharp gaze was fixed ahead of him and every trace of blue on him had disappeared. Now, he looked like a normal tom cat. His body was built and his dark gray and white pelt was neatly groomed.

Flurry looked at him completely confused. What was he talking about? What was _StarClan?_ He must be crazy. No. _She_ must be crazy! Her imagination was going insane. So, she quickly shook her head. Perhaps this was a dream? Or was it real? It felt so real! The scents were all so clear and the grass beneath her paws was so gentle and soft. She could feel the breeze whisk through her fur. It was a chilly breeze. This was real life. There was no way it could be a dream!

"What is StarClan?" Flurry asked quietly.

But when she looked up back at him, he was gone and so was the field. It was all gone. The darkness returned, leaving her alone.

Flurry's minty-green gaze opened slowly. She stirred slightly uncomfortable. _What happened?_ She asked herself quietly. Slowly, she rolled onto her side and stared at the opening over a huge rock in the cave. Outside the opening, there was sunlight. Pure sunlight! A purr sounded in her throat as she soaked in the warmth of the sun that filtered through the cave opening. Then her gaze returned to scan the cave. For a moment, she couldn't remember what was going on. Then the memory came back to her. She had taken refuge in this cave to get out of the cold snow. It felt wonderful to feel the sunlight beam down on her. Her purr got even louder as she soaked in the warmth. Her gaze scanned the cave and she flicked her ears. There were markings throughout small and round cave room. On the ground was a long indentation that led circled the stone. It was dry though. The indentation was dry. _It's got to be a stream, right? What else could be there?_ She asked herself. Then she noticed that there were more indentations in the main indentation. The smaller ones were… Paw Prints? Cautiously, Flurry took a step toward the dried up stream and put her front, right paw into one of the paw prints. Surprisingly, it fit perfect! A low gasp sounded from her and she moved her paw away from the paw print. "Where am I?!" She whispered to herself.

"You're in PolarClan Territory," A low voice sounded. "I thought we told you to leave."

Flurry turned quickly, all her senses were tingling. It was a dangerous place and she went against Smokestar's demand and threat. Slowly turning, she flattened her ears and gazed at the ground, not considering the eyes of the enemy. The scent was one she's not smelled before. It must be a wild cat she hasn't met. Gazing at him, he didn't seem very clear. It was almost as if he were a dark blur under the moonlight with dark eyes. His eyes were shining slightly though, almost as if they were being directly shone on by a bright light. The eyes were scary and a deep amber, almost red.

"Uhh," Murmured Flurry as she took a step back from the cat. It was hard to hide the fear she had rising in her body. Her claws were flexing with anxiety, her tail was twitching. "I was uh… Just leaving."

"What did you see?" The cat demanded, taking a step forward at Flurry.

As he came closer to her, she noticed his body wasn't solid? She could see a faint red aura. Was she still dreaming? She had to have been! This was insane. Her eyes wouldn't play tricks on her either, would they? After talking to the other cat in the other dream, this was just weird! "Who are you?" Flurry demanded, gazing at the cat in front of her.

"I'm just a cat in your dream," His voice turned into a whisper that echoed throughout the small area. "A… less important figure you saw a few minutes ago… However…" The cat approached Flurry and was now only a few feet away from her face.

A sudden chill filled the room and Flurry was frozen with fear. This wasn't a cat. He looked just like the other cat that was here before him! Except…. He had a red aura. Why? Why were these cats even visiting her?! She closed her eyes tight, hoping it was just a dream but when she opened them again, the room was completely different! It was as if she was teleported onto the top of a mountain? Down the mountain she could see a round opening with dark blurs surrounding something in the middle. She was right on the edge of this mountain, not being able to feel the ground below her. She couldn't feel the cold under her feet. A low growl sounded from behind her and she gazed over her shoulder to meet a huge black tom cat with glowing red eyes. He had the same aura as the one she was just talking to.

"Welcome to the Cold, Flurry!" His voice was full of sarcasm and he had a wild look on his face, an evil grin played his lips and he was just scary. The tom cat took a few steps forward on the mountain top. "You won't last a day with these wild cats," He chuckled evilly. The tom lowered his chest to the snow and crept forward. "They will not be your friend, they will not train you right. They will abandon you like everyone else you knew. Your parents? Pfft. Your litter mates? These wild cats will leave you behind just like they did… So please, let me finish this now for you." Suddenly, he leapt forward at Flurry and she let out a yowl for help as she felt her back paws slip.

As she waited for the toms body weight to crash on her, there was another noise a few feet ahead. "You need to leave, now!" A voice called out to Flurry. She opened her eyes and saw a she-cat had tumbled and pounced on the evil tomcat. Her eyes grew wide with fear and confusion.

The soft orange tabby she-cat gazed at Flurry softly while holding the tom down. Her eyes were filled with excitement but were a … Strange silver? She must be a cat like the one who introduced her when she contacted 'StarClan.'

"You can leave now!" The orange she-cat called to her.

Flurry blinked once and shook her head. This was such a strange day, it was insane! All these weird dreams. Suddenly, things began to shake around her and everything began to blur once more. Flurry could feel her body stir slightly and bam. She was back in the real world, back to this weird cave thing. Everything was so weird! She could feel a soft prod in her side. Flurry jumped in surprise and took a few steps and she gazed up. On the other side of her body was a small she-cat looking down at her with bright amber eyes.

"Flurry, how did you find this place?" The she-cat asked softly as she walked down the little ramp and sat on the other side of the large rock.

Tilting her head some, Flurry looked rather confused. How did this she-cat know her name? She looked so familiar though. Then a gasp sounded from her, "Are you one of those Wild – Err, Clan cats I met the other day?" She asked quietly. How did she find her? Did this she-cat see all those weird images and dreams that she could see? Did she see those two cats that were fighting, and the one who introduced himself as Slatestorm? It was just a dream, right? It was possible if this place was sacred. The tom made a big introduction like this was something special.

The she-cat dipped her head and smiled once more. "I am. My name is Petalfall. Do you remember?" Her voice was still that same, soothing and calm voice she met the other day. There was no panic or worry in it. Just calmness.

Flurry took a deep breath and relaxed some. If it was another wild cat, she would surely be injured or at least chased out of the territory again. "I do… It's nice to see you and not one of the others," She mumbled quietly in response to the she-cat. The other day when she met Petalfall, she was really calm and good with plants. In fact, she had corrected Flurry a few times on which plants were better for the situation of Ripplepaw's leg.

"Please, tell me… How did you get here?" Petalfall asked, her eyes growing with curiosity.

Flurry tilted her head some and looked to the ground. She couldn't exactly remember what happened the other day as of to how she got here. She knew it was a little light that guided her here, but would Petalfall even believe something that silly? _Yeah. I saw some light and it took me here! That sounds real smart, Flurry!_ She let out another sigh and looked around the cave, unsure how to answer. "I guess I just… Found it," She told Petalfall.

Petalfall looked a little saddened by her answer and she flattened her ears. "Found this place?" She echoed and lowered her gaze. "I see. Did you stay the night here?"

"I did," Flurry replied to the she-cat.

"Tell me… Did you have any strange dreams?"

"Um…" Flurry lowered her gaze and was now staring at the paw print that was indented in the dried-up stream area. "I might have, why?" She replied. Why was the she-cat so interested in what happened to her? Petalfall may be a 'Clan Cat' but that gives her no reason to continuously ask her questions!

The cream-colored she-cat just raised her head and took a few steps toward Flurry. "Please Flurry, tell me what that dream was about. It would really help me out," She asked her softly.

Flurry knew that the she-cat would not rest so she began to explain the dream to her. It was a little complicated to explain, especially the part where some cat came up to her and greeted her from, 'StarClan.' She still didn't even know what StarClan was. Yet, here she was explaining to Petalfall her crazy dream! She must think she's crazy! The way her dream sounded made Flurry like it was all her imagination. But it wasn't… It felt so real to her, and she told Petalfall that too. However, the second dream she kept to herself. It didn't seem to be all that important and may have just been a nightmare. It was just… So weird. That tom cat acted as if he knew Flurry's life story. He mentioned something about his family abandoning her, but she could hardly remember them. Surely, they wouldn't have abandoned her? Even if they did, why would it matter now? How would that tom cat even know anything? But maybe he did know something… Oh what Flurry would do to get that tom to explain everything. He knew something.

Ignoring the second dream, she looked up at Petalfall and continued to speak, "It just all felt… So real. I could feel the wind, I could hear it. I could feel the tall grass between my paws and it was just so… Real," she explained to Petalfall and soon fell silent. She flattened her ears and looked to the ground, staring at the several paw prints in the dried-up stream. It was strange to see the indentations within an indentation but at the same time it was neat. The paw prints, of course, were from a very long time ago. This cave must be hundreds of years old!

"StarClan… They… They contacted you?" Petalfall whispered and she darted over to the she-cat, smiling brightly. "Do you know what that means, Flurry? There is still hope!" A loud gasp sounded from her and she took a few steps back some. "You must come with me, Flurry. Please. I have something to show you!" Quickly, she turned around and ran up the little ramp, disappearing into the shadows of the cave.

Flurry blinked and tilted her head. What had just happened? If only this up-beat she-cat knew about the second dream. However, Flurry wanted to protect that dream, to protect that tom in case Petalfall had magic up her fur to make it disappear. She was curious, but Flurry knew it was only a dream – a dream she must discover herself.

"Come on!" Petalfall purred, poking her head back around the corner of the cave room and beamed. "Let's go!" Once more, she disappeared into the shadows of the cave.

"Hey! Wait up!" The Bengal called after her and bounded after Petalfall, shaking off the memories of the dreams.

Flurry followed Petalfall up a wide mountain path. Her fur shivered as the winds grew stronger the higher they went up the mountain. Fear stretched inside her as she gazed down the mountain path. She could just barely make out the snowy-ground the mountain rested on. Where was this crazy cat taking her? She didn't want to ask Petalfall where they were going either because she didn't want to be a nuisance to the hard-thinking she-cat. The mountain path was somewhat covered in snow, about half an inch deep and it had many paw prints on it. She could tell that these paw prints were fresh from this morning or at least a recent walk. At the top of the cold mountain, a strong breeze whisked by and blew snow up at the she-cat. Her reaction to shivering from the cold was to fluff out her long fur. "Are we almost there?" She asked Petalfall.

Petalfall looked back at the Flurry and nodded. "You see those two large boulders?" Her muzzle pointed in the direction of these two large boulders that were leaning against each other.

Flurry followed to where she was pointing and she saw the two boulders. They were bigger than any other boulder she has ever seen! It's like they were formed there from the mountain a long time ago! "Wow…" She whispered quietly.

"Yes, yes, come along little one. I have to show you this now," Petalfall purred happily. She then trotted to the two boulders.

Flurry followed her and stopped in front of the boulders. They were the largest boulders she has ever seen in her life. Up close they just looked bigger! She lowered her gaze to a small, narrow entrance that Petalfall was going through. She followed her through the tunnel and tons of scents came to her. Tons of cat scents ranging from she-cats to toms, to kits and even queens! Then she froze on spot as soft murmurs sounded from deeper within the tunnel. "P-Petalfall?" She whispered fearfully. Where was she taking her?

"No one is going to hurt you, Flurry. Come _on!_ " Petalfall frowned at her and nudged the she-cat, talking in a soft and relaxing voice. "If you stick with me, they will not lay a paw on you. Just… Please trust me and I will explain everything to you." Then she fell in synch with walking beside Flurry.

Flurry was scared and she looked around the small cave with wide, fearful eyes. She couldn't believe where she was being escorted to. This had to be the Clan, it just had to be! The scents in the cave just gave away the PolarClan smell. This was where they lived… In this warm cave with each other. But what did Petalfall want with her?

The cave floor was cold and the tunnel was slightly narrowed. Inside the cave were several small crystals that lined the wall, reflecting the little light and guiding their path. One could see the ground and the walls of the tunnel, slightly lit up with the little light the crystals gave. It was a colorful cave it seemed, but it was still a scary place. Petalfall had taken the lead and Flurry followed closely behind her. Within a few seconds, the voices that belonged to each different cat had grown louder. Flurry could barely hear them but she knew there were many cats in this place.

Petalfall came to a slow stop at a huge opening in the cave. It was a large, round area with no ceiling. It was just an open area with cats roaming around. There were rocks scattered throughout the round room and crystals lined the walls. The walls surrounding the area were not very high but they were high enough to where a cat could not escape. There were ramps that lined the cave a cat could climb but it seemed that the stones were the main entrance.

Flurry's eyes grew wide. The cave room was huge! And there was no cave roof! The sun was beating down directly on the snow that sat in the cave. She could see several cats running around and chasing each other and other cats soaking up the sun on some of the rocks. There were a few groups of cats that were sitting with each other and chatting with one another. She then noticed Petalfall going down a small slope that lead into the Clan and she slowly made her way after her. All confidence had drifted away from her when she slid down the small slope that was covered with snow. When her paws hit the snow, she realized that it wasn't as deep as the snow outside the cave area. Her gaze scanned the camp and she noticed that there were these strange looking places build for, what she guessed, dens. It looked like the Clan had dens built for the cats. In the middle of the camp was, strangely, a large and dead tree. There were no leaves on it. Beside the tree looked like something a small pile of prey.

"Welcome Flurry, to PolarClan," Petalfall purred and gazed around the camp.

Most of the cats had noticed the newcomer with Petalfall. Flurry felt instantly embarrassed. _They must be thinking of me poorly!_ She thought to herself as the stares from other cats burned into her. She knew they were all looking at her like she was crazy. Even though she wanted to show them that she could be brave, she felt too pressured to show her braveness. She flattened her ears against her head and then lowered her head. "Petalfall, what do you think you're doing? I'm a _loner_ , not a Clan cat!"

"Shh, we must go find Smokestar," Petalfall said and then tapped her chin with her tail. "Raise your head and straighten up!" She told her. "You don't want to make the first impression a bad one, do you?"

Flurry frowned and straightened up the best she could. However, she just didn't have the courage. She was coming into a new environment with a bunch of strange cats she had never seen before but for a few of them. She remembered the cats from the other day – Tigertooth and Flintfire. They were sitting under the large tree, staring at her with cold eyes. Flintfire looked away and muttered something to Tigertooth and they both chuckled. They then grinned widely at Flurry and she flinched some. "Petalfall…" She whispered sadly.

"You finally returned," Grumbled a voice. On top of a tall, huge rock, sat a gray tom cat with white stripes. His blue gaze turned cold when he saw Flurry. "Why is she here?"

Petalfall looked up at Smokestar and she sighed, "We need to talk to you, Smokestar. It's about…. StarClan."

Smokestar's eyes grew wide and he jumped from the rock, landing softly on the snow. "StarClan?" He echoed quietly. "Let us talk in your den, Petalfall." He then took the lead and led both the she-cats to a hole in the cave.

Flurry flattened her ears and followed in the tom's paw prints to the hole that sat in the cave wall. The two of them squeezed through the entrance. She hesitated after them but took a deep breath and ducked down to go into the rocky den. Inside, the first scent she caught was plants. Her gaze grew wide with curiosity as she saw numerous amounts of plants sitting in the den. There were tall plants, short plants, leaves and even stems! She couldn't believe how many plants were in this den.

"Is Ripplepaw asleep?" Smokestar asked quietly.

Petalfall looked through the narrow tunnel that lead to another small room. She then brought her head back into the small cave room and nodded her head. "He is very much asleep."

"Good. Now tell me. What is this about StarClan?" Smokestar asked, towering over both she-cats.

"She saw them, Smokestar. Flurry met with a cat from StarClan."

 _StarClan..._ That name echoed in Flurry's head as she remembered the first cat. He was so kind, so soft and gentle. His scent was strong but good. He wasn't mean. However, she only wished she knew more about what was happening. And what was that second dream about? It bothered her that the second tom she met was even like the way he was. There was something off about him. Or perhaps there was something off about the first one? Answers! That's all Flurry wanted but she knew she couldn't bring it up to these cats. The first dream, whatever. But that second dream, there was meaning behind it. There was a personal reason why she was dreaming those other two cats. And what was the giant hole she came face-to-face with? It didn't seem familiar but she saw more animals in it, fighting over something small. Perhaps more wild cats fighting over prey? Possibly. Or even foxes? Ugh. It bothered Flurry she had no answer. But these two Clan cats she's with now, they can help her!

A soft smile played on her face as she gazed up at Smokestar triumphantly. He was going to answer her questions.


	5. Chapter Five

Flurry looked at the two older cats. She had no idea what they were talking about. She didn't even know what the cat she met the other night was talking about! All she could think was that these cats were crazy (or on some _serious_ catnip! XD). They were talking about these… Dead spirits that lived in the sky. How could a dead cat communicate with a cat that was still surely alive? Did that mean that the cat she met the other night in her dream were dead?! If that was so, Flurry had hoped that she would never talk to another dead cat in her life. It was strange to still be alive and breathing and having dead spirit cats talk to you. Surely PolarClan was delusional. They communicated with dead cats. That was insane and a little scary. She'd never want to communicate with another dead cat in her life. As she thought about her dream, she remembered how lively everything felt – the grass, the breeze, the voices… They seemed so real. The grass, she remembered, felt so silky and soft. It tickled when it brushed against her legs. Her memory faded mostly to that second dream.

That was a _dead cat_ she was talking to! _A DEAD CAT_ tried to attack her! Fear rose in Flurry. How was that even possible? If it was, then how did she know _SHE_ isn't already dead? Did the fox kill her?! Her fur began to stand on ends as she thought about death.

"You're _not_ dead, Flurry from the Outside," Muttered Smokestar as he read her mind.

"Smokestar, you do realize what this means, correct?" Petalfall's voice snapped Flurry out of her mind drifting off and thinking about StarClan. The medicine cats gaze lowered to the small she-cat who was staring at the ground, pawing at the cave floor.

"Kind of, Petalfall. Flurry, please excuse us," Smokestar mumbled and dismissed Flurry to go outside the cave den.

Flurry tilted her head some as though she was about to question the tom. But he gave her a serious look and she quickly got up on her paws and turned around, leaving the den. The she-cat padded onto the snowy-terrain and stared at the ground. She wondered why Smokestar had dismissed her. She could understand the two older cats wanting to talk to each other about StarClan and they had, but why ask Flurry to leave? Was she disturbing their conversation? A sigh escaped the young she-cat and she unsheathed her claws. Slowly, she began to drag one of her claws in the snow. Her mind was so bombarded with so many questions. Why did Slatestorm contact her? Why were _dead_ cats even talking to her? Was there a real reason behind this? Who were those second two cats?

"Hey! Is that Flurry?! Look Sunpaw, that's Flurry!" A voice squealed and within a few seconds a small solid-white she-cat came darting over to Flurry. "Hi Flurry," Blazepaw greeted.

Flurry raised her head and stopped drawing in the snow. She looked over to the always-happy and hyper she-cat, Blazepaw. This was the 'apprentice' she had met the other day in the forest. Looking over her, she noticed that Sunpaw had stayed near a den, talking with another cat.

"Hello Blazepaw," Flurry mumbled in response with a flick of her tail. At least one cat in the Clan was friendly. But wouldn't the other Clan cats think lowly of Blazepaw? Flurry couldn't have that. She didn't want to be the cause of the she-cat being disliked for making friends with a rogue! So, she turned away and asked quietly, "Are you sure you should be talking to me?"

Blazepaw replied with a, "Huh?" She then trailed to stand in front of Blazepaw. "Of course, I should be! Why wouldn't I? Aren't you here to join the Clan?" She asked.

Flurry stared at the ground when she asked that question. Is that why Petalfall had brought her here? To join the Clan? More questions arose. Could she even pass as a Clan cat? She might have been a rogue for some time and learned how to fight and hunt but how could she ever pass as a _Clan cat_? It was strange to even _think_ why they would want a rogue to join the Clan and fight beside them. She had not one inch of Clan cat blood in her. Then her mind trailed to StarClan. Was that why this so called 'StarClan' contacted her? Did they want her to join the Clan? Was this entire thing because of this dead clan in the sky? It probably was. A frown appeared on the she-cat and she sighed softly.

"Well?" Blazepaw asked.

Flurry let out a soft chuckle and shook her head. "I could never join the Clan. I have no Clan cat blood in me," She explained softly. They would never accept her even if she did join. She would always be known as a rogue. Or a loner. Never as part of the Clan. She just wasn't cut out for it! Besides, Smokestar would never accept a rogue into the Clan! Especially one her age. However, she began to think of the advantages of living in the Clan. There was always food and shelter. No more trying to build nests or hunting desperately. She would have other cats around her to help support her! But why would they want to help her...? She was an outsider. An outcast.

"You don't need Warrior Blood!" Blazepaw squealed and fluffed out her fur. She stood up tall and puffed out her chest, "As long as you can stand tall and look brave! If you can strike your enemy quickly," Gently, she pawed at Flurry and then grinned widely. "And if you stay loyal, you would make a warrior."

Was that it? Looking brave, standing tall, being quick and loyal? That's all it took to be a so-called Warrior? It couldn't be. From the looks of it, most of the cats were born within the Clan. They looked as though they had been made into a 'warrior' at a young age – like they've trained for it. Flurry would be too late to train to become a warrior. They were born with Clan blood. The cats of PolarClan were born with strength, with speed… With so much. And she was just born into the wild with little hopes of surviving.

Flurry decided to change the subject from joining a Clan to this so-called warrior. "What is a warrior?" She asked Blazepaw.

"A warrior? It's a cat who has been training for many moons to become the best cat they can be! They are the main fighters and hunters and patrollers who have tried their best to learn the ways of the Clan. We all start as a kit. We are given a name when we are kits. For example, I was known as Blazekit when I was younger. My brother, Sunpaw, was known as Sunkit. Then we hit the age of 6 moons and were turned into apprentices," Blazepaw purred with happiness. She looked excited to tell this story and her eyes lit up with happiness.

"So. When you're born, you're only known as a kit to the Clan? What do you do?" Flurry asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. You just sit there and play with your den mates!" She beamed brightly and shook her pelt out. "You're too young to do anything, obviously. You're only a kit!"

"And six moons…. That's the appropriate age of an apprentice? And you train to become a warrior?" Flurry still looked kind of confused. Why would you have to train to be a warrior? It seemed like a lot of work and she was very unsure if she could pull it off. She wasn't the strongest cat in the forest. Of course, she was speedy and silent through the forest, but had little strength. Maybe she could improve her physical strength if she had the chance to join the Clan. But who knew what Smokestar would have her do! She might have to battle a fox, or a badger! Or worst….

Blazepaw purred at the silver she-cat, her green eyes beaming. "Yes! Training to be a warrior is the most important thing. If you don't train, you could run into a lot of trouble when you grow older. One needs to learn how to fight and hunt for the Clan. That is the rule set by StarClan."

There was that word again. StarClan. That word that meant dead cats living in the sky and telling the Clan what to do. These cats sure were crazy. But instead of blurting out something she shouldn't, she said, "That's neat. Do warriors do any extra training to become a better rank?"

"Oh no," Blazepaw said quickly and lowered her gaze. "In fact, the only higher ranks are the Deputy and the Leader. Right now, Blackshadow is our deputy and Smokestar is, obviously, our leader."

"Deputy?"

"It's a cat in training to become a leader – to succeed the leader after he loses all nine lives," Blazepaw explained.

That was a major shocker. That wasn't fair at all! Leaders of Clans got nine lives?! "D-did you say nine?!" She gasped. _I want nine lives…_ She began to imagine what the advantages to having nine lives could be. Such as being able to battle and not being too worried about dying. Making it through the cold winter or getting sick! She could come back alive. That sounds very creepy, but it'd be the coolest thing ever!

Blazepaw nodded. "Totally cool, right?"

"Blazepaw!" A low voice growled.

Flurry and Blazepaw both turned and looked in the direction the voice was coming from. To her surprise, she saw a large black tom with a piercing green gaze. He was slightly bigger than Blazepaw was and he didn't look very happy.

"What are you doing talking to this loner?" The tom demanded, his growl growing louder by the second as he gazed coldly at Flurry.

Blazepaw looked away from the tom and flattened her ears, "I'm just being friendly, Viperpaw."

 _Viperpaw._ Flurry thought. He had to be another apprentice. But he was so much bigger than the apprentices she has met! His fur looked nice and shiny too, just barely dappled with flecks of snow that have fallen. But his gaze was sharp and fierce and full of hatred toward Flurry.

"To a loner. To a _loner,_ " He growled. "You shouldn't be talking to a loner, let's go." He muttered and turned away from the she-cats. Gazing over his shoulder, he tossed Flurry another cold look and then down to Blazepaw. "Now."

"I'm coming," She mumbled quietly and whispered to Flurry, "Viperpaw sure is a stick in the mud! I'll talk to you soon! Bye Flurry!" The white she-cat then turned away and trotted after the tom known as Viperpaw.

The tom didn't have to be so rude! Blazepaw was just being friendly, it's not like she was going to get hurt or anything by Flurry anyway. In fact, Flurry has never hurt another cat in her life! Maybe when she was younger she might have accidently hurt someone, but that was when she was a lot younger. Now, she was about the age of Blazepaw, Sunpaw and possibly Ripplepaw and Viperpaw. Though, she was a lot weaker and smaller than them. They probably have been training for many moons. A soft sigh escaped her and she lowered her gaze back to the ground, returning to her drawing.

"Flurry! Come in here!" Smokestar called from inside the rocky-cave den.

She jumped in surprise by the toms' loud voice. Turning around, she pushed through the slightly frozen moss and entered the den. The familiar scent of the plants instantly returned to her and she smiled brightly. She then stopped just on the other side and gazed around, catching the sight of the plants again.

"Flurry," Petalfall's voice sounded softly. "Have you ever thought about joining this Clan?"

Total surprise washed over the young she-cat. Did she just ask her what she thought she did? "I… I…" Flurry tried to speak but couldn't get the words out. How could she just up and join the Clan? True, she wouldn't mind having some extra protection or even some new friends that won't hate her, but she wasn't Clan born! What will the other cats think of Petalfall _or_ Smokestar's decision? Won't they think low of them? "I don't know what to think of that, Petalfall," She whispered softly.

Smokestar's deep voice sounded, "If you join the life as a Clan cat, you must have no contact with rogue life. You will be loyal to the Clan and if you ever think about betraying us, you will make up for it." His dark gaze trailed to Flurry's and he shook his head. He didn't look at all happy with this. The tom's voice was serious as he spoke, "There are rules you must oblige by as well. You will train as an apprentice – alongside Ripplepaw and Sunpaw and the other apprentices. You will learn what it takes to become a Warrior and you will train if you wish to join."

Flurry looked up at the tom. Worry hid in her eyes and she searched for any sympathy or something in the leaders' eyes. Of course, he was as hard to read as a rock! He showed no emotion, no gratify, no nothing. His eyes were serious, more serious than anything before. She could tell he looked very displeased though. He was, after all, letting a rogue into the camp. Or loner, or whatever she was classified as. It didn't matter! She was just asked to join the Clan. It's such a big decision.

"You will not slack in training and you will be pushed to your limit to improve. If you wish to join us, there is no turning back to your old life in the forest. And if you do not join us, we will escort you to the end of the territory and you will no longer be welcomed on PolarClan land," Smokestar explained, standing tall.

Petalfall gave Flurry a little nudge. "It wouldn't only improve your life but it will help us as well. We are in desperate need of more warriors. And with the next Leaf-bare coming up..." She trailed off, flattening her ears. Her gaze turned to a sad look and everything about the perky she-cat had died. She was very saddened by what she was about to say.

Flurry frowned and looked to the ground. "C-can I think about it?" She asked Smokestar and Petalfall quietly.

Before Smokestar had a chance to speak, Petalfall nodded and said, "Yes you may. You can have a night to think about it. I'm sure it's a lot to take in. In fact, why not you stay here tonight? There is an extra nest in the patients' room!" Her mood had suddenly changed from happy to sad to happy once more. She was a very strange she-cat.

"Petalfall," Smokestar muttered.

Flurry looked at the medicine cat a little curious. She would have to stay in camp for a night? Perhaps joining the Clan wouldn't be such a bad idea. She would get to learn how to hunt and how to fight, but she would also have a chance to meet new cats! It was so strange to be able to have the chance to join these cats. An opportunity like this doesn't just happen. A cat had to prove themselves worthy to be in this Clan. So what did Flurry do to impress them? It had be the entire StarClan thing. They must want her to be able to communicate with these dead cats. It was still awkward to think that she was able to dream and talk to these dead cats. Did that make her crazy?

"Okay, I'll stay here then. But I have a few things I want to do. I'm a little hungry and I need to gather a few things I didn't have the chance to grab at my den," She mumbled softly to Smokestar and Petalfall.

"You will not leave this Clan today, Flurry," Smokestar growled some. It was obvious he didn't trust her yet. The tom shook his head and then made his way through the half-way frozen moss that hung over the cave entrance and disappeared into the camp.

Flurry flattened her ears and then nodded slowly after he was gone. It's not that she had too much to grab. Perhaps she could do that another day. A soft sigh escaped her and she looked down at the cave floor. She didn't mind being around all the plants though! That was the one thing she enjoyed the most – different plants. Some of them were so much prettier than the other and some tasted different than the others. It was nice to know that plants could help out wounded and sick cats also. "Petalfall, what exactly is it you do?" She asked her.

"Me?" Petalfall asked softly and she purred. "I am the medicine cat. I am to help out the sick and injured cats of the Clan. I am also the closest cat PolarClan has to StarClan." She replied as she began to look around the den. Quickly but softly, the she-cat began to move the plants around.

"Oh. Is that how you knew what Goldenrod was?" Flurry asked. It was nice to be able to talk to such an older and experienced cat about different herbs.

"Yes. I have trained to know about herbs since I was younger than you were. I always found the ways of a medicine cat interesting…" Petalfall's voice was soothing – as usual but a little raspy. She was a lot older than most of the cats Flurry has encountered lately. But she knew a lot about plants – or herbs. It was interesting.

"How is Ripplepaw?" Flurry asked, glancing toward the 'patients den.' She remembered the tom had severely injured his paw the other day when he was running from the fox. Frankly, she didn't even remember how the tom hurt his paw or what happened to it. The only thing she could remember was wrapping it up in cobweb. She thought it was broken.

"He's only sprained a few bones in his paw. However, he won't be returning to his apprentice training for a while," Petalfall sighed quietly and looked to the opening. "I feel kind of sorry for him. He was almost ready to become a warrior. In about a moon or so and now he's stuck in my den – unable to move his paw or even walk on it."

"That's too bad," Replied Flurry and she then turned away. "Hopefully it'll help soon. I know this plant… It's a very rare plant but it's rumored to be able to help sprained bones. It's known as the Purple Flower, at least to me. It's like Alpine something…" She trailed off and tried to think of the word. But this plant was a purple flower with long stems. (No. It's not an herb used in the warriors' book. In fact, it's a completely new plant that I found grew in the Alpine territory. It's known as Alpine Phacelia.) The young she-cat shrugged the thought off and then let out a huge yawn. She was very sleepy for she didn't get too much sleep last night. And traveling up a mountain side is a lot of work.

Petalfall gave her a strange, but soft, look and then smiled. "You can tell me about it later. I've never heard of this plant before. But you should get some rest. You have a long day ahead of you." She told the young she-cat and turned back to her own plants.

Flurry nodded slowly and stumbled into the Patients Den and found an empty nest in the back of it, far from where the sleeping Ripplepaw laid. Her gaze rested on the young tom for a few seconds and she realized he was sleeping peacefully. His injured paw was stretched out in front of him and it was wrapped in some cobweb. It looked bad but what did she know? The she-cat gently crawled to the mossy nest and then laid down in it. She curled up tight and closed her eyes. Excitement rippled through her as she thought of joining the Clan. It would be perfect to be able to learn how to do things she never knew how to do before. Meeting new cats would also be fun. Unless they were all going to be rude like Viperpaw. That tom had gotten under her fur faster than a tick would! She tried to clear her mind as her eyes closed slowly. Soon, the she-cat fell asleep


	6. Chapter Six

Little light flickered into the Medicine Cat den, lighting up the room slightly. It was peaceful in the PolarClan Camp, peaceful and chilly. A cold breeze made its way into the den, brushing against the silvery-white Bengal she-cat who was sleeping soundly. The young she-cats' eyes began to open and she gapped a huge yawn. Her surroundings were a bit blurry but she blinked the sand and crust out of her eyes and then rubbed one of her eyes with her paws. Finally, everything was coming into place and she could make out the details of the cave den. She could see the peaceful sleep body of another cat and she realized where she was. She was in the Medicine Cats den of PolarClan. Did she really make it through the night alive? These were _wild_ cats she was staying with. She couldn't believe she made it through the night without getting attacked or jumped… It was quite nice to sleep in a peaceful, warm, den without having a care in the world what was out there. Glancing over at the cat near her, she realized it was Petalfall. She was sleeping peacefully, her tail gently resting on her nose flickering ever so slightly. Few snowflakes dappled her fluffy fur. She looked so… _Something. Majestic? No. Caring? I don't know._ Shrugging the thought away, the young she-cat jumped up to her paws and stretched, being careful not to disturb the peaceful cats. She gapped a huge yawn and then quietly stepped over the cats.

"Huh? Oh my, you're up early Flurry," A voice spoke.

 _Oh, great Stars in the Skies!_ Flurry thought to herself, freezing suddenly. She was half out of the den and yet, half of her body sat back in the little den. Turning, she glanced slightly over her shoulder before gazing down at the older, cream-colored cat. "Sorry. I'm used to getting up extremely early," She murmured quietly to her. Her gaze slightly flickered over to the little tunnel that led to Ripplepaw's den, wondering if she had woken him up as well. Hopefully not. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with a cranky tom cat. Especially _that_ tom cat. "I didn't mean to wake you. Please, go back to sleep," She urged.

Petalfall let out a soft chuckle and stretched out her paws and then stood up slowly. "Don't mind me, you're fine. I probably need to get up a little early anyway. I tend to sleep longer than I should!" She replied softly to the she-cat. The older she-cats gaze locked with Flurry who was slightly embarrassed. "Really, thank you for waking me though. I've got a lot in store for us today!"

Flurry tilted her head a little and gazed at her in a confused manner. What did she mean by _us?_

Like… What?" Flurry questioned. She didn't want to sound rude to her but she was a little upset that she had thrown her into that situation. As fun as it would be to spend the entire day with the medicine cat, she didn't want to. It might be a little selfish of Flurry to think that but… Why should she spend the entire day helping the Clan? She wasn't a part of it yet. Yeah, she's had visions of this so called StarClan but that doesn't mean the medicine cat can just drag her along to things she doesn't want to do!

"So much!" Petalfall beamed, her gaze shining brightly with pride. "So much is going to happen today. Like, the fact I want to teach you so more of these herbs. I know you know a lot about herbs and it wouldn't hurt for you to know some more. Especially if you're going to live with us!" She sounded so cheery for having to be up so dang early. The sun was barely up!

Flurry furrowed her brows and nodded slowly, "Um…" She mumbled and before she could get any words out, Petalfall continued to speak.

"I'm going to take you to all the landmarks and show you where all the best herbs are at! And even introduce you to some new herbs. Have you ever heard of Pygmy Bitteroot?"

"No, I haven't," Flurry spoke softly.

"OH! Or even Moss Campion?"

"Um… Should I have?"

Petalfall gasps and stares at Flurry with wide, amber eyes. "You've never heard of that before? You'll never become a Medicine Cat with that kind of attitude!"

"Medicine Cat…?" Flurry echoed quietly.

"Oops," Petalfall slaps her tail across her own muzzle and then smiled. "I'm sorry. You'll never have the _knowledge_ of a medicine cat with that attitude is what I meant to say." Anyone could see a slight blush on her furry face as she turned away.

Flurry frowned at her slightly. Petalfall was extremely happy, way so happy for her taste. It worried her a little. Did she… Did she maybe get into too much catnip while she was sleeping? Did someone slip her something? That's what it seemed like… Petalfall was just _way_ too happy. And what was this about becoming a medicine cat? Flurry didn't even know if she wanted to join the Clan! It wouldn't be a bad idea to join the Clan but why a medicine cat? Surely Petalfall was already training someone. She was elderly and Flurry figured she _must_ be training someone already.

 _Then again, I haven't really seen many cats around Petalfall but Ripplepaw…_ She thought to herself and flattened her ears. "I don't know Petalfall," Flurry murmured quietly and gazed outside the den. "But for right now, I'm quite hungry and need some food." Slowly, she turned and pushed her way through the moss hanging down in front of the entrance of the camp. As soon as she stepped outside the small den, her eyes grew wide with how gorgeous the camp looked in the snow. It looked a lot better than it did the other day. The snow had grown about another half an inch. She looked up at the roofless cave, scanning the skies for any sign of snow today. As usual, the skies were a dark, gray color.

( **PS: This kind of cave is called a Sinkhole.** Sinkholes are also caused by man when a water or sewer pipe breaks underground and the soil is carried away, leaving a void that cannot support the surface. These are the kind of sinkholes that make the news but we are more interested in the natural kind. It is also caused when the roof of a cave collapses, leaving a vertical entrance. Which is the more likely explanation of the cave. But it's not very deep and it has like a path down to the cave. Soo… Google Sinkhole Caves to see pictures.)

"Flurrrrrrrrry!" A high-pitched voice came. "I hear you're going to join us?!" The she-cat came to a short stop and beamed brightly at Flurry.

Gazing at the young she-cat, Blazepaw, she tilted her head a little. "Erm," She mumbled quietly. "I don't know. Maybe." Flurry lifted her head and scented the air some, taking in the strong scent of PolarClan cats. This was their home. Perhaps it would be hers too. "But I'm a little hungry right now," She responded and then noticed a small pile of prey.

"You can't eat that," Blazepaw said quickly before Flurry even moved. She stood up tall and poofed out her chest and cheeks, mocking an older male cat's voice. "Code Three of the Warrior Code: Elders and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders."

Flurry just gave her a strange look. "What?" She muttered in response and shook her head. She wasn't even part of the Clan yet. "Blazepaw, I'm not an apprentice. Nor am I anything in the Clan yet but a rogue. But nevertheless," She purred. "I'll go out and get something to eat!"

"Not without a few more cats, you aren't," A deep voice said behind the two of them.

Flurry and Blazepaw both jumped, fur standing up, their neck fur bristling a little. They both turned their heads slightly and gazed up at the tom cat, Smokestar. Beside him was a pitch-black tom with bright yellow eyes.

"Um," Flurry murmured slightly and flattened her ears in embarrassment.

"This is Blackshadow, he is the deputy of this Clan and will also be the one to take you out to hunt," Smokestar explained, motioning the large black tom cat with his tail.

Flurry had heard about this, 'deputy Blackshadow.' The other day, Blazepaw was talking about him. She said that he was a cat in training to become a leader – like Smokestar. _He can't be serious,_ Flurry thought to herself. This was it. These cats were crazy. It saddened her to see how crazy they were. They must have been out in the cold for too long. That had to be it! They were crazy from the cold. "I don't need someone to take me hunting Smokestar," She murmured quietly. "I've been hunting since I could walk." Her gaze darkened as she avoided the toms cold eyes.

"You are in my Camp and you will do as I say," Smokestar retorted. "No arguing."

"I'm not even a part of your Clan, Smokestar!" Flurry told him and instantly bit back her tongue. She flattened her ears and looked away. She was snapping at an older cat. How could she be so disrespectful? "I'm sorry, I will do as told." She whispered quietly.

Blazepaw stiffened up a little and bowed her head as well. She did not say anything. "Can I also go, Smokestar?" She asked him.

Smokestar gazed at her and nodded slightly. "Grab your mentor and join Blackshadow," he ordered.

"I will also grab Viperpaw and Hazelwish," The large black tom spoke deeply and bowed his head in respect to the leader.  
"Very well. Report to me when you are back," Smokestar turned away from the small group and disappeared between two bushes and a boulder.

Flurry just watched him. How dare he tell her what to do? This was outrageous. She kept her mouth shut though. She didn't want to disrespect the cats that will be looking out for her. Who knows, they might let her slip down the mountain or something. Sighing, the she-cat was left sitting there on the cold snow as Blackshadow and Blazepaw disappeared. _Do I really want to join them?_ She asked herself. It wouldn't be bad considering the fact they take care of her but being told what to do was an entire different thing. Then again, it'd be so much fun. She'll see how things turn out at the end of the day… They're already sort of accepting her, taking her hunting and such. And Petalfall wanted to take her in under her wing but Flurry didn't know if she could handle that much work.

"Flurry, let's go!" Blackshadow called from across the camp.

Flurry lifted her head and gazed at the tom accompanied by three more cats. Blazepaw, the tom she met yesterday (Viperpaw) and then another. A small cream colored she-cat that looked exactly like Petalfall. Despite the dark cinnamon, brown swirls. Quickly, she trailed after them and greeted the two new cats. "Hello," She murmured quietly.

Hazelwish smiled brightly at the young she-cat and purred in response, "Hello. You must be Flurry! My name is Hazlewish." She was very friendly – nearly as friendly as Petalfall. Flurry then noticed some strange markings. Under the outside of her right eye were three dark brown dots that lined her eye.  
"Nice to meet you, Hazelwish," Flurry responded with a dip of her head. "Viperpaw," She greeted quietly.

Viperpaw bared his teeth a little before rolling his eyes and turning away, glaring at the nothing. He looked as though he always had a mean look stuck to his face. "Loner," Viperpaw muttered quietly. "I can't believe they're accepting you," He growled. His voice was low and he was obviously very annoyed. The way his tail was swishing back and forth and his claws stretched in and out.

Blackshadow raised a kitty-eyebrow at the tom and shook his head. "Let's go." He ordered them. The cats then trailed out of camp.

 _This is my chance to prove that I'm not that bad of a rogue._ Flurry thought to herself.

As the cats padded up the small hill that lead out of camp and onto the mountain path, the winds hit them like there was no tomorrow. It was a lot warmer back in the camp where the walls of the mountain protected them from the wind. Around them was nothing but mountains and fog. The path of the mountain they followed was barely visible which would mean they needed to be very careful.

(Basically, the cats lived in a small sinkhole on the mountain that has a path leading up a small part of the mountain that took them to the mountain path. The mountain path is a very steep path that leads to the bottom of the mountain where trees and bushes and grass and all that kind of things sat. The mountain path leads to a meadow and it opens to a forest and blahblahblah, really.)

Flurry looked at the cats that were leading her down the mountain. She was following behind Blazepaw, being extremely careful where she placed her paws and how far she dug her claws into the snow. The last thing she needed was to slip…

As they continued down the mountain, the wind died down a little and she sighed in relief. The snow didn't bother her as much as the wind whipping up at her fur with the snow.

The small group was very quiet. No one said anything until Blazepaw fell back a little and started to talk to her in a hushed voice. "How did you sleep last night?" She asked her.

Flurry shrugged. "Like a kit," She responded. "I wasn't disturbed nor did I have any crazy dreams," She smiled. She was a little grateful that these dead cats in the sky didn't bother her last night. It was still weird that dead cats would want to talk to her. Why can't they go bother someone else? Why would they even want to communicate with a loner like herself anyway? And why would that other cat even want to attack her?

"Crazy dreams?" Blazepaw echoed.

Flurry nodded. "Yeah. I slept peacefully," She told her. "Where are we going to hunt?"

"We are going to either the Meadow or to that one place… What's it called," She muttered.

Viperpaw cut in, "It's called Two Points. Try to remember your own Clans landmarks, Blazepaw. It's not that hard. Perhaps you've been hanging around the outsider too long." He gave a sharp gaze in the direction of Flurry.  
"Two Points. Right," Blazepaw sighed quietly, "That's what it's called."

"What is Two Points?" Flurry asked.

"It's just a place where two very tall stones sit, crossing beside one another and pointing to the sky. We usually go there if we have a ceremony but it's a very well-known place for hunting," Hazelwish joined the conversation, her voice sweet and calm. "You'll see it when we get there."

"We aren't going to Two Points or the Meadow," Blackshadow spoke up.

"Then… Where are we going Blackshadow? Those are the most populated places to hunt," Hazelwish frowned to him.

"Silent Hills," He responded.

Hazelwish froze and stared after the tom. "Silent Hills. You want to go _there_ for hunting? Out of no disrespect here, Blackshadow, but … Don't you think that's a little dangerous in this kind of weather? The wind is starting to pick up and if we go all the way out there…"

She was cut off, "We are going to Silent Hills, Hazelwish."

"Fine…" She muttered and trailed after them.

Blazepaw gazed at Flurry who looked back. "What is Silent Hills?"

"The quietest place in the forest here but also the most underpopulated. There is little prey there," She explained. "It's more of a landmark. I don't quite understand why we are going there, it's usually used for training sessions. _Major_ training sessions. But Blackshadow shouldn't be doing any training today unless he plans to train with you and I and Viperpaw," Blazepaw explained.

"Interesting," Flurry replied and shrugged. "Alright. I can't wait to see it." The two of them then ran up to catch up with the others.

After a few minutes of traveling, Blackshadow approached a small little area. It was a quite large but flat hill with several trees lining it. There were some bushes crawling up the side of the hills. Everything was draped with snow. Flurry's gaze scanned the area and suddenly she was on full alert. Her muzzle lifted a little and she scented the area. There was little sign of any kind of prey and it was very quiet here. The only sound she heard was of the whooshing winds. After a few moments of standing there, the cats split up when Blackshadow flickered his tail. Flurry watched them all go in different directions. She was left sitting there by herself. Her gaze trailed to the top of the small hill and she stared at it for a few minutes. The small silvery-white Bengal she-cat made her way up the hill to the top. The hill wasn't too big but it was beautiful. Her blue eyes widened with excitement and she stared at everything. At the top of the hill was a small frozen pond with trees surrounding it. There were a few trees around but they weren't very big. (Imagine a small, flat hill with trees lining the top of it. Everything else around it was opened, like a field. But on that hill, are many, many trees.) The small she-cat lowered herself to the snow, slightly blending in so she wasn't too easily seen. She scented the air and looked around, ears perked. "Hrm… Come out little prey," She mumbled quietly to herself.

As if the prey understood, a small, white ermine (a weasel) scurried out of the bushes. It had a few red berries hanging from its mouth. It stood on its back legs and gazed around the area hoping there was nothing there. Little did it know that Flurry was there, watching it. The weasel scurried around the area, holding the small branch of berries in its mouth as it smelled the ground. Flurry stayed completely still for a few seconds and then decided to do some real hunting – rogue style.

Not long after the hunting session, the patrol seemed to regroup. They came back with little to none prey at all. Blackshadow had two pieces of prey, Hazelwish had one small mouse, Viperpaw had a piece and Flurry had two. Blazepaw didn't find anything though. She came back empty-pawed. It was quite embarrassing though. She felt horrible. What if Smokestar didn't allow her to eat? Blackshadow examined the pieces of prey, stopping on Flurry's catch. He eyed the small weasel and the slightly plump chinchilla. It impressed him and he nodded. "Very nice, Flurry. Well done," He commented.

Flurry smiled at Blackshadow's praise and felt a warm feeling inside her. She purred a little and picked up her pieces of prey. "Viperpaw and Hazelwish, not bad; could have found something plumper but a little piece is better than none," He said sounding a little harsh toward Viperpaw.

Viperpaw looked to the ground and nodded some. "Yes, Blackshadow. I understand," As he gazed at the ground, he shot Flurry a cold look out of the side. It looked very harsh and he seemed very upset with her.

Flurry tilted her head some and then looked away. It saddened her that he was being so harsh.

"Blazepaw, I'm slightly disappointed in you," Blackshadow rested his gaze on the young orange tabby she-cat who bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, Blackshadow. I promise I won't go back empty-pawed ever again," She whispered quietly.

Hazelwish nudged the young she-cat and smiled, "It's alright. We have enough prey here to feed the elders and queens. They'll be grateful!" She told her.

"Thanks, Hazelwish. But Blackshadow is right. I shouldn't be empty-pawed. Please, allow me a little more time to hunt!" She begged the deputy, gazing up at him with a stern look.

Blackshadow shook his head. "I will not allow such a thing. A storm is about to pass and we need to get home!"

"Please, Blackshadow. I promise I will come back with a bigger piece of prey than yours together!" She pleaded.

The deputy let out a soft sigh and then shook his head. "Fine, but Hazelwish and Flurry will accompany you. Viperpaw and I will be heading back to camp now," He looked down at the tom cat with something hidden behind his eyes. Something that Flurry couldn't pick up right away. The older cat looked as though he was upset with Viperpaw or disappointed. She wasn't too sure.

Hazelwish sighed and nodded. "Yes Blackshadow."

The two toms then turned tail and began to head back toward the mountains.

"You tried, Blazepaw," Murmured Flurry. It was true there wasn't much prey out here but it was nice of the deputy to give her some more time. She didn't want to stay out here in the cold but if it meant Blazepaw could go back to camp with a few pieces of prey, she was glad he allowed them to stay here a little longer. Which meant that she could even help out with hunting more! If it was one thing Flurry was good at, it was hunting. Especially in the winter when her fur slightly blended in with the snow surrounding her. And to hear a praise from the deputy made her want to try harder to impress him and the Clan. So, doing some more hunting and getting more praises made her happy. It wasn't often she heard a praise from someone. Especially from someone as important as him! But that gaze Viperpaw had given her… Was it just because he was mean or was there meaning behind it? Shurgging the thought away, she heard Hazelwish speak.

"Let's get hunting! Come on Blazepaw, I know you're an excellent hunter. You can do it," The cream-colored cat told her with a bright smile. She then turned away and headed up Silent Hill.

"Blazepaw, are you okay?" Flurry asked her.

Blazepaw frowned and slightly looked to her friend. "I'm not sure, I feel really bad. Everyone else caught something but me? Not so much."

"Well, prey is scarce in the winter, especially in this time of day," Flurry explained to her. "Now c'mon, let's do some hunting!" She purred and nudged the apprentice before scenting the air. Immediately, she caught the scent of a duck. "Is there a river around here?" She asked Blazepaw.

"The only river I can think of is Endless Rivers. It was part of the river where Sunpaw and I met you the other day. It dumps into a big lake," Blazepaw explained to her.

Flurry purred and nodded. "Let's go, take me to the lake!"

Blazepaw looked at her with fear. "No one has ever traveled to the lake. There are things there we don't need to go near."

"Things? What kind of things?"

"Terrifying things that like to capture cats and take them away," Blazepaw whispered sadly.

Flurry tilted her head some. "What?" She's never heard of such a thing. Surely, Blazepaw must be joking. What kind of things are in these parts of the mountains and meadows? The only thing she can think of are the foxes and mountain cats that are rarely seen. And occasionally wolves, but Flurry hadn't seen those in a very long time. She was beginning to think that all of _them_ have been captured. "There's nothing out here, Blazepaw. Just us, cats and foxes…."

"No, there are twolegs Flurry."

"What? No there isn't. Twolegs haven't been seen around here in _moons!_ There haven't even been signs of them! It's not twoleg territory. There are no places out here for them to live. No dens or anything," Flurry argued with her.

Blazepaw shook her head. "They like to come out here during Leaf-Bare for whatever reason. They carry these large hunters that can kill any one of us. They like to come out here and look for the mountain lions and wolves – which is why we never see them anymore. They also like to take our ducks!"

Flurry listened to the she-cat and nodded slightly… "Well, I guess we can stay away from the lake. Let's just see what we can find around here," She immediately scented the air and Blazepaw did the same.

A little while later, the three she-cats were back at camp. By the time they had gotten back, the winds have picked up very strong. The snow was falling harder now and it seemed like a major storm was about to start up. Hopefully, it wouldn't. Blazepaw caught a slightly plump mouse and dropped it on the fresh-kill pile. Flurry had dropped her two pieces of prey – and the extra piece of prey she had caught – on the pile as well. Behind her, Hazelwish had gently set her prey on the pile.

"Flurry, I'm so sorry we can't go out herb-hunting today. Smokestar ordered for all the cats to stay in camp until this storm passes by," Petalfall sighed as she approached the small group of cats.

Slightly disappointed, Flurry nodded sadly. "I was really looking forward to going out and learning about some herbs. I know there is so much out there that I could learn. Can we perhaps go tomorrow or another day?"

"I would like that, Flurry," Petalfall told her with a purr.

They were then greeted by Smokestar who wanted to speak to Flurry alone.

Flurry followed the tom to his den and sat down in front of the pacing tom. "So, have you thought about it?" He asked her. "About joining us? If you have, we will be welcoming you with open paws. Well, some of us. Others…. Might not."

Flurry stared down at the ground. The benefits of joining this Clan were outstanding. She would get to learn better techniques with hunting and fishing and fighting. She could become _someone._ Not just another cat in the forest. She wishes she had more time to think about whether she wanted to join the Clan but it seemed like Smokestar was giving her no more time. If she joined the Clan, she would be safe and would have a friend. She could even maybe meet someone in the future. She would never go hungry again and she could benefit to something. And then maybe…. Maybe one day she would be a leader and receive those nine lives that Blazepaw was talking about. But if she didn't join them, she would continue to live her own life the way she wanted to and not forced to believe in StarClan. But… After seeing them, it makes her wonder. Why have they come to her to speak with? Why can't they just go talk to the medicine cat and the leader and so on?

"Well?" Smokestar asked, stopping in front of her and sitting down. He matched her sitting position and just stared down at her, his eyes burning into hers.

"I'll join you, Smokestar," Flurry told him with full confidence, locking gazes with him.

A small smile crept to his face and he nodded. "Wonderful news. We will hold your ceremony tonight… In the meantime, go get cleaned up and some food in your stomach. I'm sure you are hungry. Also, find Blazepaw and get her to show you around the camp. You'll need it." The tom dismissed her and Flurry quickly left the cave.

Hopefully, this was the right choice. StarClan help her if it wasn't. Or whatever they were called.

Night fell and it was time for the ceremony. The wind has grown stronger and there wasn't a star in the sky to be seen. The snow was falling slightly heavier this time and all the cats were gathered outside Smokestar's den. The large tom was sitting on top of the boulders that sat in front of his den and he was addressing the Clan.

At the bottom of the boulder, next to the den entrance sat Flurry and Petalfall. The medicine cat was standing tall, her fur shimmering under the little moonlight that fought its way through the clouds and snow above their heads.

"Welcome, PolarClan. Tonight we are gathered to welcome a new she-cat into our Clan. Yes, I know what each of you are thinking. Why are we accepting a rogue into the Clan? Well, StarClan has the answer for that—"  
The large tom was cut off by sudden gasps from the cats that sat in the group. Hushed whispers began growing from them and Flurry felt immediately more nervous than before. Her ears flattened against her head and she looked around the Clan. In the distance, next to the medicine cat den she noticed a small figure. A small and injured figure. It was Ripplepaw, he was watching the ceremony. Flurry locked blue gazes with the tom who immediately turned his attention back to Smokestar. _At least he was able to walk out of Petalfall's den._ She hadn't seen much of Ripplepaw but it was nice to see him up and watching the ceremony. She figured he was still mad and angry at her for the entire… Whatever happened the other day with the fox and the broken paw. It wasn't her fault though.

"Silence!" Smokestar roared over the small crowd. "As I was saying, StarClan has allowed us to accept this rogue into the Clan." The large tom gracefully jumped down from the top of the boulder and landed on all fours, kicking up snow as he landed. The tom then turned to face Petalfall and Smokestar. Flurry gazed up at the tom, matching his cold stare. She had to act brave in front of him. The silvery Bengal stood up tall and stared into his cold gaze.

Petalfall opened her mouth to speak and she started, "As Medicine-"

"Flurry, as leader of PolarClan, I welcome you to join us. I welcome you into our Clan. I have seen you hunt, I have seen you fight. I have seen it all. You may not know I've been there…. But I have been. I know your techniques and I'm sure you could teach us all something. Just as we can teach you something," The tom raised his head and gazed at the cloudy sky and he closed his eyes with a soft purr. "I'm glad StarClan has contacted you," He lowered his gaze to the Clan and then back to Flurry. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known Spiritpaw." He paused and turned toward the crowd of cats. "Your mentor will be Swiftstorm. I hope Swiftstorm will pass down all he/she knows on to you. Please, step forward Swiftstorm," The leader sat on the other side of Petalfall who looked torn. She looked distraught and her gaze was fixed on the snowy ground below her. What was wrong with her?

An average sized snowy-white tom with gray streaks on his head stepped through the crowd, nearly tripping on the group of cats. He then caught himself and raised his head high. "I will do all I can to teach her everything I know, Smokestar. Greetings, Spiritpaw." The tom greeted her, his smokey-gray eyes meeting hers.

"Welcome to PolarClan, Spiritpaw." Smokestar called out to the Clan.


End file.
